Pill and tablet counting machine.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

S. A. HASELTINE.

PILL AND TABLET COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22, 1905.

Jun Jo's MQ A Mega G WwM PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

- S. A. HASELTINE.

PILL AND TABLET COUNTING MACHINE.

I APPLIGATION FILED APE.22, 1905.

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UNITED 'sr 'rns mar cranes.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application fllad April 22,1906. Serial No. 257,016.

Patented April 17, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEWARD A. HAsELTINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at S ringfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pill and Tablet Counting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to im rovements in a pill and tablet counter, the o ject of which is to provide a cheap, simple, and durable machine and at the same time one that will quickly and accuratel count any desired number of pills or tab ets without injuring them and at the same time enable the erator to see that the count is accurate W lo the count is bein made. These objects I attain by means od the devicfe illustrated in thef accompanym rawmgs, ormin apart 0 this specification, in whichg Figure 1 is a view of the entire device, showing a vertical longitudinal section ofthe hopper and one of the tubes and showing two levers with two contact-points on each and a rubber band on one and a spring on the other, one lever being raised, allowin the tablets to drop out, the other one close Fi 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of a modification of the entire device. Fig, 4 is a crosssection of the same. Fi 5 is a detail crosssection on the line a: of Iig. 3.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A is, a hopper or receptacle for the tablets or ills, made any desired. shape or size, prefera ly made long and narrow with flaring ends and the two sides forming an angle coming at the bottom to form a trough just lar e enough for one of the tablets or pills to roll in the bottom of said trough or hopper on its edge. The tablets are fed into the tubes edgewise, and as they are all the same diameter, although they may vary in thickness, they occupy the same space in the length of the tube.

I rovide a stirrin mechanism to be operate by th foot of t e operator. This may be constructed in different ways, preferably made by means of one or more brushes .or arms F to move along in a trough A back and forth as the treadle or stirrup 1S operated up and down. For this pur ose any suitable rubber attachment or a weight at one end for drawingI the rod and arms backward may be:

used. prefer a spring. As these arms move back and forth in the trough they drop into the tubes B, which open into the bottom of the trough A. I refer using a stirrup C and a strap or cord I), which passes over a pulley E. A sprin W, attached to the frame A and to one end 2 of thelever 0, draws it back, spring W bein strong enough to hold the lever 0 back w en not pressed by the.

foot in the stirrup C. The up er end of the lever O is connected with 9. r0 P. Said rod P passes through the trou hAlon itudinally, and to it I attach arms Sai arms may be any desired number and are preferably covered with rubber tubes to prevent injuring the tablets. I have also constructed, the device, as shown in the modification Figs. 3 and 4, having arms attached to a rod or stra D above and 0 erated at its ends over an leys b a weig t W and treadle O he arms 2 are hin ed or attached to the strap D and are provided with elastic braces G to cause the arms to move back and forth in the trough A as the strap I) is moved in one direction b the treadle C and drawn back by the wei t W. The said stra I) passes over ulleys E E; but I refer t econstruction rst above describe as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

B is one of the tubes which connects with the lower edge of the trou h A to receive the pills or tablets. It is ma e any desired size and she e for receiving the desired tablets or pills. or the ordinary disk tablet the tube is made, as shown in the drawings, with an oval opening. Said tube is provided with a slot or open front B as shown, so that the operator can see when the tubes are full of tablets or pills. The number of tablets to be counted is determined by the diameter of the tablet and the length oi the tube B and the distance between the two contact-points H and L on the lever K, so that by ad ust1ng the length of the lever K the number of tablets can be regulated. Any desired number of tubes may be attached to the lower edge of the trough. I usuall use six or more, so that some are always ull to be emptied.

The lever K is rovided with a suitable fulcrum M, soldere or secured near the tube in any suitable way, and is provided with a rubber band N for holding the lower end or the lower contact-point L down in the tube to prevent the tablets passin down. A s rin N may be used instead 0 the rubber.

pre er a coil-spring B. When the lever is raised at the lower end, the contact-point H of the lever at the upper end is so adjusted as to press against one of the tablets Y, and for this purpose the contact-point II of the lever may be made of rubber or other soft material to prevent crushing the tablet or injuring it while being held in place to allow the others below to drop out. I prefer a spring H When the lower end of the lever is released, the contact-point L, or the lower end of the lever, is drawn back into the tube B by the rubber band N or sprin R, or both may be used, and before the ta lets released at the uppercontact-point H drop past the lower contact-point they are stopped and again fill the tube B between the two contact-points L and H. The lower end K of the lever is again raised, placing the contact-point ll again against one of the tablets and permitting those which are resting on the lower contact-point L to drop out as the lower point L is withdrawn from. the tube. By means of the open front of the tube the operator can always tell that the proper number of tablets are in the tube between the two contactpoints before he releases them. The operator can always see that the tablets drop out before releasing the lever.

In Fig. 3 a lever K is shown placed to one side of the tube with two spring contactoints H and L. A spring R is used for reeasing the upper contact-point when the lever K is released. as a rubber band N and a sprin N but I prefer the former.- Instead of aving the contact-points directly beneath the lever the lever can stand to one side of the tube, and the contact may be bent or set on one side of the tube, as shown in the left-hand tube of Fig. 1, so as to expose more conveniently to view the tablets in the tube, or the lever may work with contact-points through the side of the tube, as shown in Fig. 3.

T represents an ordinary slide bhx or rece tacle which is desired to be filled with t e tablets or pills.

The trough A may be secured to any desired framework A, and to the said framework or to the tubes are secured stays S and S, which control the Ian th of the stroke of the lever K. To com e contact-points H and L to always enter t e slot B I provide a flaring edge, as shown in Fi 1, or a sleeve H, as shown in Fig. 5, and as eeve H (shown in cross-section, Fig. 5) may be used, to. pre vent the contact-points from entirely leaving the slot or getting out of place. For adjusting the distance of the contact-points H and L they may be secured to a sleeve V to slide 7 on the lever K up and down, as desired, and

to hold them in place any suitable means may be used. I prefer a set-screw V By reason of the slot in the front side of these tubes, which are preferably metal, the operator can see if any tablet sticks or clogs and just where it is and can see that the right I have used other means,

erases number is always released and dro s, and a little jar by the foot or stroke by t e operator will usually remove any 010 in thetube. It is o erated thus: The ta lets or pills, for it wi count either pills or tablets, are placed in a trough A and the o erator puts a oot in the stirrup C and the oot moves u and down. The strap D moves the lever in one direction on its fulcrum O and the spring W pulls it back when released by the foot. The upper end of the lever 0, connecting with the rod P, moves it back and forth, and thus operates the arms F through the tablets and moves them without injury, as they are made of spring material to give easily and covered with rubber to be soft. The trough being triangular or coming to gether at the bottom, the tablets are turned upon edge and are rolled in this position. into the upper ends of the tubes which connect with this bottom. edge of the trough. The tubes are thus filled with the tablets on edge, and the diameter being the same they are easily and accuratel counted; 'By regu lating the contact-points on,the lever K the operator regulates the number of tablets he wants. When the operator raises the lower end of the lever K, this makes the upper contact-point hold one tablet and those above from coming down and releases or opens the lower end andlets all the tablets in the tube between the contact-points drop out. When the lever is released, it is drawn back by the rubber band or spring, and the lower end or contact-point is closed and the upper one is released and the tube above the lower contact-point is again filled, ready to be released ing the same.

2. The combination of a triangular trough having tubes connected with its ottom with a stirring mechanism consistin of a rod passing longitudinally through t e trough and rovided with arms for moving the tablets back and forth in the trough as the rod is moved back and forth substantially as shown and described.

3. In a tablet-counting machine the combination of a trian lon tubes connects at its bottom to receive tab ets edgewise combined with a stirring mechanism'consisting of a rod passing longitudinally through the trough provided witharms for moving the tablets back and forth in the troughv combined with a lever for lar trough having oboeptaclesubstantial throwing the rod in one direction and a spring for returning the same substantially as shown and described.

4. In a tablet-counting machine a stirring mechanism consistin of a rod passing longitudinally through tIie receptacle provided with arms for moving the contents of the receptacle as the .rod is moved back and forth combined with a lever one end of which is attached to the foot-piece by a strap and a footpiece for moving the stirrin -rod in one direction and a recoil-spring or movin the same back for stirring the contents of t e rey as shown and described.

5. In a tablet-counting machine a triangular trough and tubes attached to the lower edge of said trough having oblong openings for receiving the tablets upon edge, each of said tubes provided with a spring-lever having two contact-points, the upper one of which is a spring to prevent injuring the tablets when they are being counted, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a tablet-counting machine the combination of a tube open the whole len th of one side to exhibit its contents com ined with a lever havin two contact-points said lever provided wit a spring for closing its lower contact-point when released by the operator, the upper end provided with a soft contact-point and a stay to revent the lever from being thrown out too ar by the operator when releasing the tablets.

7. In a tablet-counting machine a tube having an open front to exhibit its contents combined with a lever having a spring for drawing its lower contact-point into the tube when released b the operator, the upper contact-point belng provided with a spring to prevent injury to the tablets when coming in contact with the same substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

SEWARD A. HAS'ELTINE.

Witnesses OLLIE GOODKNIGHT, ANNA DECKERT. 

